Pages

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Book Review: Strong Enough to Die

By Laura M. Campbell

I’ve been told that to be a better writer, you must read
what you’re writing. I strive to write stories with strong female characters
because they’re role models I didn’t have growing up. I came across John Land
and his ass-kicking character Caitlin Strong in an online article, so I
purchased the first of the action-packed series, Strong Enough to Die.

Overall, I really liked Caitlin and the fast-paced novel.
When it comes to being a strong female character, her strength comes across as
more masculine than feminine at times. Keep in mind she is a third generation
Texas Ranger, following in the footsteps of her grandfather and father. I find
it easier to relate to her when she faces societal choices (e.g. marriage,
children, reputation).

Before the story begins, you learn Caitlin left the Texas
Rangers after a gunfight near the Mexican border killed her partner. She makes
the choice to run away, seeing it as the only viable alternative to dealing
with the intense feelings. We all know running away does nothing but make
matters worse, which plays out in the novel, forcing Caitlin to face all the
feelings she’s locked away.

Creating a story with an interwoven past and present, Land
chooses to include the scenes from both, which at first I thought would get
confusing, but he indicates at the beginning of each chapter when and where the
characters are in the story timeline. He skillfully leaves you curious and
eager to read more at the end of each chapter that you aren’t thrown off by the
jumps in time.

You want to find out exactly how things ended between
Caitlin and her husband, why Cort Wesley Masters, the criminal she put away, is
being released from prison, and how the gunfight at the Mexican border plays
into the entire story. So, Land shows those exact scenes instead of telling you
through a character’s internal or external dialogue.

There were a few places I found it hard to understand what
was going on or being said because of the sentence structure, but I’m not sure
if it was due to Land’s writing style or due to reading it on my phone via the
Kindle app.

Land’s storytelling hooked me by leaving little breadcrumbs
of information that coaxed me through the novel to discover how it all ties
together; and he created a dynamic and round character with tomboy Caitlin. She
doesn’t stand around waiting. She takes charge, even if it does mean crossing a
line, but she owns her mistakes and lives with the consequences and memories of
crossing those lines, which I find is an admirable trait. If you like gunfights, tough protective
women, and suspenseful stories, you’ll love Strong
Enough to Die.

2 comments:

Hmm, sounds intriguing. I think I've heard of this character before. I've always liked good fiction that has a strong regional feel. I'll try to remember to look for this the next time I'm in the book store.

There's definitely no mistaking where this story takes place. It would be a great novel to read in the winter time when you need to think warm thoughts before you chip your teeth from shivering. Thanks for stopping by!